Numbers, per 36 Minutes

0.98 PPP

Booker had 527 offensive possessions with the Wizards that ended with a FGA, TO or FTs, and he scored 0.98 Points Per Possession (PPP) on those, ranked 105th in the NBA (via Synergy Sports Technology). Defensively, he allowed 0.87 PPP over 392 possessions, ranked 177th in the NBA.

Shooting

What did we expect?

Trevor Booker has become the new Dominic McGuire. Loved by all hardcore Washington fans for his grit and hustle, but destined for a journeyman career due to his limited talent. If only you could combine Kevin Seraphin’s touch around the basket with Booker’s everything else…

***

To put it bluntly, Booker is exactly the same player today that he was as a rookie. Just like Dominic McGuire. That’s not a good sign for a fourth-year player in a league that craves upside potential.

I gave Booker one assignment to avoid McGuire’s fate: “Get a jump shot. It does not have to be pretty, but it needs to go in every once in a while.”

What happened?

Trevor Booker had a very Trevor Booker season. As usual, he started a good chunk of games (45 out of 72) and his per 36 minutes stats remained virtually unchanged from his previous three seasons.

But what about that jumper? I am pleased to report that Booker greatly improved his percentage on field goal attempts from 10-to-16 feet (45.7% in 2013-14, 29.4% in 2012-13, 20.0% in 2011-12, 14.3% in 2010-11). Booker’s shot charts from this season and last provide visual representation of his improvement.

2012-13

2013-14

Booker shot 64.9 percent from the field in April, and by the time the playoffs rolled around he was catching and shooting baseline jumpers without hesitation. Much of his new-found confidence was attributed to encouragement from him teammates. Whatever the reason, Booker’s offensive contributions were a welcome sight.

Trevor’s season highlight was the Chicago Bulls series. TNT’s Kenny Smith is fond of saying, “The regular season is where you make your name, but the postseason is where you make your fame.” That certainly applies to Booker. After a lackluster playoff debut in Game 1, Booker was a difference maker throughout the rest of the series, matching—and often exceeding—Chicago’s trademark intensity. In the deciding Game 5, Booker threw himself around the court with abandon, earning Steve Kerr’s praise as his “new favorite player in the entire league.”

But Trevor’s zenith was immediately followed by a stark reminder of his limitations. Randy Wittman stuck him on the bench in the Indiana Pacers series in favor of Drew Gooden, presumably because of Booker’s size disadvantage against David West.

So, did we learn anything new about Trevor during the 2013-14 season? Not really. He is still the same hustle guy. He still gives a consistent effort night in and night out. He can still step into the starting lineup when needed (Washington went 16-10 with Booker in the starting lineup after Nene’s late season injury). He is who we thought he was—an average first big man off the bench. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

What’s next?

Trevor Booker presents an interesting problem for Ernie Grunfeld. According to ShamSports.com, Trevor is owed a $3.42 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent. Booker is not worth that much, but Ernie’s horrendous draft history has left Washington with no other playable big man on the bench. The reality is that if Booker is not re-signed, then Ernie will have to spend approximately $3 million per year elsewhere on another player who can start thirty-plus games when Nene is injured. Sure, the Wizards could roll the dice with Drew Gooden again (and likely pay him the veteran’s minimum), but that still leaves holes in the frontcourt.

Given Ted and Ernie’s unwavering allegiance to continuity above all else, my guess is Trevor returns on a two-year, $5 million deal. It would be a defensible—if uninspired—move … just like the Martell Webster signing, the Otto Porter draft choice, the Wittman extension, the anticipated Grunfeld extension, and the more likely than not Marcin Gortat and Trevor Ariza free agent contracts. Defensible and uninspired—that’s what Washington does best.

Don’t get me wrong. I would love to have Booker back. But not at the expense of bringing in a legitimate offensive front-court option. Given Nene’s injury history, Kevin Seraphin’s inability to grasp basic basketball concepts, Webster’s disappearing act, and coach Wittman’s stale offensive sets, Washington needs another scoring option on the second unit. There are only so many times that Beal can run in circles and shoot contested long-range jumpers.

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About TAI

Truth About It.net, Washington Wizards Blog, ESPN TrueHoop Network -- Following the D.C. pro basketball franchise since the 90s and covering them in blog form since 2007 -- Opinion, Analysis, Irreverence, Pictures, Video, Interviews, Photoshops, News, Video, Quotes, Shares, and all the pixels about the Washington Wizards you can imagine.